Prof Anthony Clare:Prof Anthony Clare's contribution to medicine and the media was truly immense. Following his sudden and untimely death in Paris last weekend, he has variously been described as "the leading psychiatrist of his generation", "coruscatingly intelligent . . . a broadcasting star" and a "gentle and caring man".
After the publication of his book Psychiatry in Dissentin 1976, which inspired many young doctors to train in psychiatry, he became a regular broadcaster and commentator while also working at the Institute of Psychiatry in London.
Incisive contributions to BBC Radio 4's discussion programme Stop the Week, led to a steadfast partnership with the producer Michael Ember. Together they came up with the formula for In the Psychiatrist's Chair, the radio series which made him famous and which ran from 1982 until 2001. The programme is widely credited with helping to demystify psychiatry in Britain.
Anthony Ward Clare was born in Dublin in 1942. The son of Bernard Clare, a solicitor and Agnes Dunne, he and his two sisters were brought up in Ranelagh. He went to school at Gonzaga College, where he helped edit the school newspaper. While there, he came under the influence of Fr Joe Veale, who instilled in his pupils the confidence to bring about social change during their lives.
Anthony Clare entered University College Dublin, where he read medicine. He gravitated towards the Literary and Historical Society, greatly enjoying the cut and thrust of debate. Rising swiftly to auditor of the L and H (whose secretary at the time was his future wife Jane Hogan) he won the prestigious Observer Mace debating competition with the late Patrick Cosgrave.
Following graduation in 1966, he and Jane were married before he completed a family practice rotating internship at St Joseph's hospital in Syracuse, New York. They returned to Dublin in 1967 so that Clare could begin postgraduate psychiatry training at St Patrick's Hospital under the guidance of Prof Norman Moore.
Some two years later he moved to the Maudsley Hospital in London. He rose through the training ranks from registrar to senior registrar and was appointed lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry's General Practice Research Unit in 1976. By the time he was appointed professor and head of the Department of Psychological Medicine in St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College in London, he had spent eight productive years at the institute.
While Anthony Clare's first scientific publication was a paper on alcohol, diazepam and barbiturate abuse, published in the British Medical Journal in 1971, a steady stream of research marked his years at the Institute of Psychiatry. These included papers on the ethical aspects of electroconvulsive treatment and a study of the psychological profiles of women with premenstrual tension. But there was evidence also of his growing interest in the relationship between psychiatry and society. Papers on psychiatry and dissent, anti-psychiatry and the changing patterns of psychiatric care reflect this.
While there is no doubt that psychiatry influenced his media work, Anthony Clare said that journalism made him a better psychiatrist. The modus operandi for In the Psychiatrist's Chair reflected this interplay: subjects were interviewed at length before the material was condensed down for broadcast. Many of his interviewees spoke of being completely unaware of the microphone and praised his facilitatory style. Never hostile or belittling, he unerringly laid bare the thoughts and emotions of his high-profile guests .
The first series included interviews with actor Glenda Jackson and with Spike Milligan, whom Clare befriended (they later co-wrote Depression and How to Survive It). Some interviewees were reduced to tears. Bob Monkhouse broke down after saying his mother had not spoken to him for 20 years while the former Liberal party leader, Paddy Ashdown, became emotional over his father's death.
Anthony Clare had a great speaking voice; he preferred radio to television. He presented the mental health programme All in the Mind on radio while his first TV appearance was on Nationwide on BBC 1 with Frank Bough. He also contributed voiceovers for the BBC TV science programme QED. He was a regular host of the Channel 4 programme After Dark during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
A prolific author, he was already a father of three when he wrote the seminal book Psychiatry in Dissent.This was followed by Psychosocial Disorders in General Practice(1979), Let's Talk about Me(1981), Social Work and Primary Health Care(1982) and Psychiatry and General Practice(1982).
He had an ability to read and write at great speed, which enabled him to fit in his writing around his family and the "day job". In the Psychiatrist's Chairspawned a series of four books. In 1986 he wrote Lovelaw, a book on marriage, childbearing and divorce, followed by Depression and How to Survive It(with Spike Milligan) in 1993. His last book, On Men: Masculinity in Crisiscame out in 2000. He also published in excess of 100 research papers during his professional life. He was awarded an MD for a thesis: The psychiatric and social aspects of premenstrual complaint. A dissertation, Psychiatric illness in an immigrant Irish populationgained a Masters degree in philosophy from the University of London.
Anthony Clare returned to the Republic in 1988, following his appointment as medical director of St Patrick's Hospital and clinical professor of psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin. After serving 10 years as medical director, he moved to St Edmondsbury Hospital, a unit of St Patrick's, as consultant adult psychiatrist.
Essentially a shy and private man, he withdrew from media work and public life around this time to devote more energy to his family and clinical work. Working to a theme of "treating the problem rather than the diagnosis", he developed a wide ranging multidisciplinary approach to the management of psychological disorders. With a growing emphasis on psychotherapy he had a special interest in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome. Although never inducing dependence in his patients, he gave a huge personal commitment to each individual.
A superb teacher, Anthony Clare guided the careers of many young psychiatrists following his return home. He founded the Dublin University Psychiatry Rotation, which has some 80 doctors in training. At a time when funding for research was at a premium, he persuaded the governors of St Patrick's to provide research grants for psychiatric trainees. And doctors of all ages were grateful for his support, offered in a spirit of benign paternalism.
Clare was also a devoted family man. Despite his hectic work schedule, he took long holidays with his young family in Europe. He was hugely supported by his wife Jane; she was his friend, sounding board and intellectual sparring partner.
In 2003, he and Jane became directors of Plan Ireland, a charity which aims to improve the lives of impoverished children and their families in the developing world.
A keen tennis player, Anthony Clare loved music (especially opera), cinema and family life. In recent years he took great pleasure in spending time with his seven children and six grandchildren. He was looking forward to enjoying more time in Kerry and Sardinia following his retirement later this year.
He is survived by his wife Jane and children Sebastian, Justine, Sophie, Peter, Eleanor, Simon and Rachel.
Anthony Clare: born December 24th, 1942; died October 28th, 2007.